


Admission: 2

by foxxymythicality



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alcohol, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Jealous!Rhett, Kissing, M/M, Non-Consensual Groping, set close to reality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22304266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxxymythicality/pseuds/foxxymythicality
Summary: Upon celebrating another milestone, Rhett and Link discover that their feelings run deeper than either of them had ever admitted, particularly to each other.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 38





	1. Blue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fanfic ever so please be gentle. Ha! I know this particular trope has already been done but I liked the idea and figured it would help me effectively dip my toes in the water. So, here it is with my own spin on it. Also, I like fluff so I tried to convey that in this story. I hope you enjoy it. Please don't hesitate to add kudos and comments so I know how I did. Find me on Tumblr @ foxxymoxie and come say hi! 
> 
> Special thanks to secondhand-watermelon for being my cheerleader and for beta-ing this for me! You are so greatly appreciated! <3<3<3

They couldn’t believe they’d surpassed yet another huge milestone. They had never had so many millions of subscribers in their entire career. Rhett and Link had achieved more this year than ever before. The accolades poured in, as did the cash flow that accompanied well over a decade of faithful perseverance. This called for celebration.

The air was stifling, near overwhelming. The atmosphere was thick and heavy with the heat and sweat of too many bodies vying for space on a dance floor intended for far fewer people than had managed to occupy it. The only relief came in occasional dramatic bursts of cool, dense fog that periodically and unpredictably rushed from vents in the ceiling down onto the writhing bodies on the dance floor below, accompanied by hoots and squeals of gleeful surprise and arms shooting upward to meet the icy deluge. The fog also created temporary concealment, a literal blanket of obscurity which granted unspoken license for its occupants to grind, to grope, to discard inhibitions in stolen moments of rhythm-fueled sensuality. As quickly as it had come, the flow ceased and the fog dissipated into the atmosphere, revealing an air of innocuous dancing when the reality was anything but. 

He sighed. Observing from his post, leaning against the bar across the room from the dance floor in what he considered to be well-versed, practically expert-level wallflowerism, the hazy, strobe-lit image before him simultaneously repelled and intrigued him. Part of him longed to participate, wondering what it would be like to feel the heat of multiple unfamiliar and beautiful bodies grazing and pressing up against his own in the mist…but he knew himself better than that. He would be too grossed out at the first inescapable sensation of strange sweat mingling with his own—which, given the circumstances, would be an inevitability. His large frame would simply feel too overwhelmed. The thought made his collar tight. He tugged at it briefly with one long, thick finger, immediately attempting to conceal his slight unease by quickly moving the same hand up and into the curls of his beard with as much nonchalance as he could muster. He stroked it coolly as his gaze floated calmly over the crowd, compulsively, subconsciously seeking his Comfort, his Familiar, his Anchor in every situation that life chose to present to him. 

Almost on cue, as if intuitively connected to him, Link emerged from the edge of the dance floor, bounding happily toward him, his meticulously-styled hair failing to stand against the thick, humid atmosphere and Link’s own doubtlessly ad-libbed gyrations. His bangs were beginning to fall across his forehead, leaving errant strands of silver and ebony trapped in the light sheen of perspiration that captured them there. The sleeves of his cobalt blue button down had been rolled up to his elbows. He had also apparently needed to unfasten the shirt’s top few buttons in an attempt to help cool himself against the heat of the dance floor, which revealed an alluring little patch of dark chest hair that peeked out from between the now enticingly open flaps of azure fabric. The tail of the shirt hugged his hips while barely grazing the tops of his thighs, which emphasized his small waist and subsequently broadened his shoulders. The soft denim of his tight, gray skinny jeans left very little to the imagination, displaying his well-toned thighs, perfectly crafted from years of mountain biking and supplemental trips to the gym. He was a vision of confidence, the epitome of masculine beauty, his carefree expression lending him a youthfulness that effortlessly belied his years. His mile-wide, crooked smile trained instantly upon Rhett, and the joyous expression in those uncommonly blue eyes made Rhett’s heart dip suddenly in his chest. Sure, he was happily married with a family; they both were. But there had always been something special with Link. Always. He was well accustomed to shaking away the sensation of mild envy mixed with _less_ than mild admiration, a certain sense of appreciation to which he vehemently avoided affixing a label. Or, at least, _that_ label. He considered it par for the course by now, but sometimes it still managed to catch him off guard, even if momentarily. This had been one of those nearly disarming moments. God, Link looked so good in blue. 

“BUDDYROLL!” Link shouted playfully as he practically ran into the bar next to Rhett, his hands barely catching him and keeping him from slamming full on into the chest-level, highly lacquered oak top. He motioned abruptly to the bartender and cheerfully shouted, “One more, please!” He’d been ordering the same drink all evening, Jack and Coke.

“God, you haven’t called me that in forever,” Rhett mused wryly and took a draw from his IPA. Link’s beverage arrived and he thankfully accepted it and eagerly took a sip. Gesturing toward Link’s drink with the neck of his beer bottle, Rhett asked, “Just how many of those have you had?”

Link shrugged, “Three? No, four. Er… Hmm. This might be number five, actually. Maybe.” His uncertainty conveyed through a quizzically quirked up eyebrow, he flashed Rhett another playful, sideways grin. Rhett smiled amicably, looked back out toward the dance floor, and shook his head. He could see the alcohol swimming behind Link’s eyes and figured it would probably be wise to preemptively anticipate how the evening might end.

“You seem to be having a good time, so that’s…good. What’s that fog stuff like? It looks pretty cool,” he mused.

“Why don’t _you_ come out there _with_ me and find out, Rhett?” Link swayed a little as he set his now empty glass on the bar. 

“I dunno, man,” Rhett smiled. “No offense but you don’t look like you’d be the most reliable guide right now. It looks like drink number ‘four-no-five-actually- _maybe_ ’ just might be doing you in.” He laughed and recoiled a little as Link raised his eyebrows and playfully punched him in the bicep.

“What _ever_ , man! But if that’s how you feel about it, you know I’m not going to beg.” Link chuckled and tilted his head as the smile in eyes met Rhett’s own. Too many Jack and Cokes made the room feel ever so delightfully off-kilter. 

“You know me, I’m enjoying just hanging back here people-watching,” Rhett assured him, “You go ahead.” 

“Alright then, you know where to find me!” Link spun on his heels and strode back to the dance floor. Rhett watched as his best friend, tipsy as he was, seamlessly melded back into the swaying mass, just as another burst of fog erupted overhead followed by exuberant shouts and upraised arms.


	2. Fog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks as though Rhett has found reason to get on the dance floor after all...but not in a way he would have preferred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jealous!Rhett makes his appearance here. This is also the chapter that merited the "unwelcome groping" tag. It's mild and really only "partly" unwelcome (if that makes sense) but I figured I'd include the tag anyway, just to err on the side of caution. Thank you for reading and thank you for all the positivity and kind words! <3

Rhett let his eyes roam around the club, taking in the various sights around him. There was an upper level above some tables to the left of the dance floor, the bottom of which was illuminated by softly glowing amber light. It reminded him of something one might have seen in the 80s or 90s, only back then the light would have come from neon tubing. This must have been LED or whatever subtler, modern equivalent was being employed these days. A thick wall of ivy draped along the railing surrounding this upper level, very reminiscent of the ivy in their office back at the studio. He noticed another bar up there with several Edison bulbs in little metal cages suspended overhead. It was occupied by a couple making out furiously, which had the bartender pressed as far away from them as he could possibly get while still remaining at his post behind the bar. Rhett chuckled at the sight.

His eyes swept back down to the dance floor in hopes of finding his Constant yet again. He surveyed slowly from left to right, trying not to be disappointed by the slim probability of actually being able to catch sight of Link amidst the dancing throng. His attention eventually snagged upon a raised platform to the right of the dance floor. It was occupied by none other than Link himself, who happened to be dancing incredibly suggestively, with his arms raised overhead and his rear grinding into the crotch of a much younger man behind him. The guy had his hands all over Link’s waist, wrapping around the sides, thumbs caressing the small of his back, fingers occasionally dipping low around the front, grazing dangerously close to Link’s pubic region. His hands began meandering slowly up and down Link’s sides, clearly savoring every curve and angle of his ribcage and oblique muscles. Rhett watched in shock as the guy leaned his face down into Link’s long neck and inhaled deeply. Over closed eyes, Link’s glasses had slipped down the bridge of his nose and teetered precariously on the verge of falling off his face entirely. Rhett’s eyes went wide. What the actual _fuck_?! Link must be pretty damn inebriated to be dancing with a man at _all_ , let alone in such a provocative fashion. It was something that sober Link would never have even considered, not in a million years. Involuntarily, Rhett furrowed his brow and steeled his gaze as his lips disappeared in a firm, thin line beneath his beard. This needed to stop. _Now_.

Rhett chucked his half-full beer into the trash can next to the bar so forcefully that the bottle shattered. Not only was he angry at this… _guy…_ for putting his hands all over a very judgmentally-impaired Link, but he also felt the searing grip of something he never could have anticipated in a thousand lifetimes. It set his insides on fire. Unforeseen as it may have been, there was no denying how readily it presented itself, how utterly recognizable it was. It was as clear as the sun in the sky over the Cape Fear River on a balmy summer afternoon. In that instant, the label he’d been denying throughout his entire life with Link came ripping through his consciousness like the caged animal it was, finally escaping the bonds of its self-imposed prison. Funny how all it took was a singular instance of furious jealousy to unleash the truth. He loved Link. More specifically, he was _in_ love with Link. He always had been, and no amount of denial would change the fact. Not now, not ever. 

His long strides carried him quickly to the dance floor but the dense crowd impeded his access to the platform where Link and the stranger were dancing. He looked left and right, searching for any potential access point. It was in this moment of delayed gratification that his therapist’s voice of reason flitted across his mind. He had been working so hard to improve himself. As tempting as it was to placate his protective instincts by storming up there, ripping this guy a new one and “rescuing” Link from the clearly less-than-ideal situation—one Link would surely regret once sobriety had reclaimed his faculties—there had to be a better way. He took a deep breath, collected himself and carefully, gradually pressed into the crowd.


	3. Platform

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Rhett handle the platform situation?
> 
> I want to thank Stephanie again for beta-ing this work for me. You helped me improve my writing skills and I am eternally grateful! :D <3

It was strange attempting to navigate such a mass of people when he had absolutely zero intent of joining their revelry. He considered employing the “butt touch” method in hopes of parting the crowd, but he decided that it probably wouldn’t work very well in an environment where the majority of the participants were likely expecting to be groped in some fashion at some point anyway. He settled on tapping shoulders and using eye contact and head motions to convey his intent. He’d closed about half the gap between Link and himself when a sudden _whoosh_ heralded the arrival of an ill-timed burst of chilled fog that rushed from the vents above. Arms shot up all around him as it cascaded down, completely enveloping him along with everyone else. He was taken aback by how effectively it obscured absolutely everything, clouding his vision in a haze of white and instantly halting his progress. It was then that, to his complete surprise, a set of hands found their way around his hips and began swaying him in time to the deep, throbbing, bass-heavy beats. He still couldn’t see a thing. He couldn’t tell if the hands were coming from in front of or behind him. Behind maybe? A few seconds later, as quickly as it had come, the fog stopped flowing and evaporated, taking with it the mystery hands from around his waist, leaving him bewildered and, frankly, a little shook. Honestly, it was almost pleasant. Given any other situation, it probably would have been. He might even have found it exhilarating if not for the task at hand. He shook away his bewilderment and pressed on. He had much bigger fish to fry.

He finally made it to the base of the cylindrical platform, discovering a shallow staircase spiraling up its side. He followed it without hesitation. Upon reaching the top, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes found Link. He was absolutely gorgeous. Eyes still closed, Link now had his arms crossed in front of him and wrapped around his middle, hands resting just above hips as he swayed to the music, lifting and stomping the heel of his right boot in time to the driving rhythm that surrounded them. His glasses were still askew. And, of course, the tag-along was still in tow, practically attached to his rear end. 

Slowly, methodically, Rhett approached him and with one massive hand, he carefully pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose for him. Link’s eyes shot open and he gasped in surprise. Rhett’s response was to drape his wrists over Link’s shoulders and try his best to match his pace, stepping his Vans in and around Link’s Doc Martens, inching his hips in close. His stormy, gray-green gaze locked with Link’s crystal blues as he slid his hands around the back of Link’s neck and interlaced his fingers. He smiled warmly at the beauty before him. Link beamed in return, genuine and sweet, lips baring those gorgeous canines behind the crooked grin that had inadvertently stolen Rhett’s heart decades ago.

Completely abandoning the stranger behind him, Link drew himself into Rhett, closed his eyes, and slid his hands slowly up his back, lingering briefly upon the soft angles of his shoulder blades before wrapping his fingertips up and over his towering shoulders. He leaned in and laid his cheek over Rhett’s heart. Rhett’s breath was knocked out of him as he melted beneath the warmth of Link’s smile against his chest. It never ceased to amazed amaze him, the prowess with which this man always managed to wrap him around his little finger, in effortless precision that could only accompany 35-plus years of experience. He couldn’t help but reflexively breathe Link in, deeply savoring everything he had to offer in the moment. He smelled of pomade and childhood memory mixed with a tinge of Jack Daniels. He smelled like home.

It was then that Rhett’s attention was drawn to the fact that the stranger behind Link had backed up, folded his arms across his chest, and was glaring daggers at him. Rhett winked at him slyly over Link’s hair and wrapped his arms tightly around his shoulders, pulling him into an even deeper embrace. The stranger rolled his eyes, turned, and descended the staircase in a huff. Rhett couldn’t have wiped the grin off his face if he’d tried. This was exponentially better than acting upon his initial instinct. His therapist would be proud.

Rhett leaned down and put his lips up to Link’s ear. “Wanna get out of here, bo? I mean, can we? Izzat cool?” Link nodded, and Rhett carefully helped him down the staircase and steadied him as they hurried their way through the crowd and made their exit.


	4. Torrent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett and Link make it safely to Link's house where they carefully discover exactly where they stand.

The cab ride home had Rhett’s mind swimming with questions. Link was clearly drowsy now, his head leaning against the window with his hands resting in his lap. His dark eyelashes fluttered closed, softly brushing against his cheeks. Rhett couldn’t keep himself from stealing glances as flashes of subdued street lights illuminated Link’s face softly as they whipped by. His eyes wandered that familiar, sleepy frame, amused by the juxtaposition of Link’s now completely relaxed state against that of his previously rambunctious energy from mere moments before. Rhett felt torn, mulling over the conversation he wanted to have with him once they got to the house. Would it be appropriate to address this at all? Should he just let it go and try to approach the rest of life as though nothing had happened between them? What exactly _had_ happened between them? Rhett knew what it meant to _him_ , but what about Link…? Would he even remember it? Before he knew it, they were pulling up in front of Link’s house.

Rhett shoved more than enough cash for the cab ride into the driver’s hands and then, quick on his feet, made sure to exit the car first so he could be there to help Link safely out of his seat and as quietly as possible into his living room. The house was silent, which wasn’t surprising given how late it was. He guided him to his sofa, sat him down and urged, “You sit here, just relax, lemme go get you some water and we can sit here and chill for a bit. Sound good?” 

Link blinked up at him and smiled, eyes glassy from alcohol. Rhett continued, “Wanna watch something on TV, a movie maybe? Or listen to some music?” He handed Link the remote, largely with the intent of keeping him pleasantly occupied.

“Thanks, Rhett. I think music sounds like a great idea.” 

“Just be sure to keep it low, you probably don’t wanna wake anyone up, at this hour, especially.” 

“Mmmm,” Link nodded in agreement.

He heard some music start up softly as he headed to the kitchen. A moment later he returned to Link, ice water in hand, and found him stretched out on his back, eyes closed, covering the full length of the sofa. His arms were raised above him, elbows bent as his wrists dangled over the armrest that supported his head. He had his left knee propped up slightly against the back of the couch while his other leg extended all the way to the other armrest, accentuating his impressive length. He may not have been nearly as tall as Rhett but the man wasn’t small, not by any means. It struck Rhett just how effectively, how enticingly Link managed put himself on display, even when he wasn’t trying to. Perhaps the lack of intent was part of the appeal. 

He cleared his throat and Link cocked an eye open at him. “You should probably drink at least a little of this. Dehydration is the main factor behind hangovers and we both know how hard those tend to hit us at our age.” 

Link propped himself up on an elbow, accepted the cool glass from Rhett’s hand and took several hearty gulps of the refreshing liquid. Rhett sat on the floor near the middle of the sofa close to Link’s midsection, which put him a little higher than eye level without being overbearingly close…not that he would have minded. He slowly raised his eyes looked over at Link. “So,” he began thoughtfully. “Wanna tell me what that was all about?”

“What _what_ was all about?” Link narrowed his eyes in retort, though Rhett was 99.999% sure he knew damn good and well _exactly_ what he was talking about. Link handed him the glass of water to set on the coffee table. He took it as he carefully considered how to bring up the whole “platform incident” without offending Link. The last thing he wanted was some alcohol-exaggerated outburst, especially if it could be avoided. 

Rhett put his hands up in surrender and said, “It’s not that big a deal, I’m just curious.” He smiled, trying his damndest to conceal the fact that it had actually made him insanely jealous. Much to his relief, since Link was still pretty buzzed, it appeared to have worked. The other man sighed and took off his glasses, holding them by an earpiece in one hand while rubbing his eyes with the palm of the other. Rhett continued, “I just…never thought I’d ever see you dance like that. At least, not with someone who…you know, wasn’t Christy. Hell, I didn’t think I’d ever see you dance like that even _with_ Christy. She isn’t really the type.”

Link furrowed his brow contemplatively. “I dunno, maybe that’s part of it. I _felt_ like dancing like that. At first I was just doing my thing all by myself and I was fine with it, it was cool. But then this dude…hmm.” His voice trailed off as his face took on a reflective expression. “I guess he took it as an invitation? Maybe? I sure as hell wasn’t _trying_ to invite him,” he added, his eyes widening in emphasis. “One second he wasn’t there and the next, he was. I dunno. It kinda felt good, to be honest,” he confessed. “I mean, attention is attention, doesn’t matter who it’s coming from, right? I took it as a compliment.” He shrugged, replaced his glasses and reclined back on the armrest. “What about _you_ , huh?” He turned an inquisitive eye on Rhett. “You sure handled it…differently.”

Whoops. Rhett hadn’t anticipated having to navigate his own actions of the evening. He replayed the events in his mind briefly and couldn’t help but smile at the recollection. He decided to deflect it back on Link in an attempt to gauge his reaction. “Well, what did _you_ think of it?” 

Link lowered his eyes and smiled sheepishly, and Rhett cocked one thick eyebrow as he found Link’s fingers tracing patterns in the shirt fabric on his shoulder. 

“I think I made it pretty clear, don’t you?” Link asked. He brought his eyes back up to meet Rhett’s. His expression made Rhett’s heart jump in his chest again. He coughed a little and cleared his throat nervously. 

“Did you?” He he asked. Something this weighty simply could not be left to his own flighty interpretation. 

Link’s smile faded, his eyes heavily lidded, as he wrapped his fingers around Rhett’s bicep and pulled him in close, eyes lingering over his bearded lips. Cautiously, their mouths met in a brief, apprehensive kiss. They separated long enough to look tentatively into each other’s eyes, searching for an answer to the unspoken question that fluttered between them. Rhett obliterated any remaining ambiguity by scrambling up into Link’s arms and straddling him, their lips colliding passionately as decades of pent-up tension breached its confines and poured over them in a torrent of grateful release. They shared confessions of mutual admiration and desperate breaths of affection, fingers gripping shoulders and grazing through hair. Tears of frustration fell, having finally been vindicated in this single act of weakness, one that had been on the precipice of crumbling for longer than either of them cared to recount.


	5. Admission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resolution...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank secondhand_watermelon again for being such a great help in this work. Stephanie, I appreciate you more than I can say! <3<3<3

“God, I love you, Link,” Rhett gasped, breaking their kiss and resting his forehead on Link’s. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to tell you?” 

“Mmm,” Link nodded. “Probably as long as I’ve wanted to say it to you, Rhett.”

“What took us so long? Why didn’t we—“ 

Link cut him off with another kiss, then exhaled deeply. “Fear? Denial? Pick your poison." 

"Right," Rhett chuckled. “Why tonight, though?” he asked, looking deeply into Link’s eyes.

Link licked Rhett's lower lip playfully, "I'm sure Mr. Daniels probably played a part in it, wouldn't you say? Isn’t there a reason they call it ‘liquid courage’?” The fine lines around his eyes deepened as a smile danced across his lips.

"We've been drunk together before,” Rhett observed. “It’s gotta be more than that.” He sighed. “To be completely honest with you, Link, seeing you with that guy tonight, it made me crazy. I mean, for a minute there, I straight-up lost damn my mind.” Link searched Rhett’s face inquisitively as he continued, “I know I said it was fine, but it wasn’t.”

“Rhett.” Link cooed and stroked his hair.

“I wanted it to be me, Link. I couldn’t help myself. Thank God for therapy and a crowd I couldn’t get through,” he laughed. “I was this close to beating that guy’s ass to a pulp.” Link blushed under the admission and kissed Rhett again.

They spent a few more minutes enjoying each other’s affection before Rhett pulled away and sat up carefully over Link’s thighs. “So, what do we do about this?” he asked, gesturing between them.

Link chewed his lower lip, his expression falling. “I’m pretty sure we can’t have it both ways. It wouldn’t be right.” 

“We’ve made promises, built lives. We’ve been happy,” Rhett agreed.

“Yeah,” Link confirmed. “You know I love you, Rhett. That isn’t going to change. I’m not going anywhere. _We_ aren’t going anywhere. We have our girls, we have our kids, we have our lives…but we’ll always have each other, too. Always.”

“Even if it can’t be…this,” Rhett added, his statement heavy with emotion.

“Yeah.”

“Even though it’s…changed? It doesn’t have to change anything, does it?” Rhett asked.

“Rhett. That’s just it, man. It _hasn’t_ changed. _Nothing_ has changed.” Link laid his palm against Rhett’s cheek as he deepened his gaze into his eyes. “All we did was finally admit this…’thing’ to ourselves. And, crazy as it seems, the _lack_ of change, it gives me hope.” His eyes searched Rhett’s face. “I love you. I always will, and I always _can_ , just like I always _have_. You have piece of me that nobody else does, just like she—” he gestured his head in the direction of his stairs, “—has another part of me that nobody else does. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah. I get it. It makes perfect sense, actually. I guess we know how to deal with it, how we can _keep_ dealing with it. It’s not like we haven’t already been doing for years.”

“Exactly.” Link pulled Rhett back down into his arms and sighed as Rhett buried his face in his neck. He rested one hand on Rhett’s hip and ran the fingers of the other up and down his spine, scratching his back slowly, tenderly. He’d noticed his buzz waning some time ago, but it didn’t affect the things he was feeling. He closed his eyes as they both savored the moment for what it was, for as long as time would acquiesce. They tucked it away in their minds as another one of those special memories between just the two of them, another pivotal moment that built them into the men they were, bonding and intertwining them even deeper into one another, just when neither of them thought that could ever be possible. 

They would separate that night and return to their respective lives, thankful for the gifts they had been given: the love of two strong and amazing women, five beautiful children, and a lifelong best friend, partner, brother, and soulmate. They would continue to savor their special bond in stolen glances and lingering touches, conveying it through those moments when their eyes would lock and neither could look away, placing their hope in each other’s ability to maintain the status quo. Whether or not that hope had been justified, only time would tell.


End file.
